Indiana Freshman Josh Bey Used Big Ten Champs to Make Leap to Next Level
Coming out of Hinsdale Central High School in Illinois, Josh Bey was a major recruit in the Class of 2026. So, when he arrived at Indiana University, the youngster was viewed as an instant-impact performer for the Hoosiers. However, what Bey has provided to coach Ray Looze and his staff has likely exceeded expectations, and the freshman was downright sensational at the recently concluded Big Ten Championships.
As Indiana captured the Big Ten team title, Bey claimed the Big Ten crown in the 400-yard individual medley, finished second in the 200 breaststroke and xxxxxxx. All three events produced personal-best times for Bey, who will play a critical role as Indiana chases a second straight top-three finish at the NCAA Championships later this month in Atlanta.
If Bey was in need of momentum entering the Big Ten Champs, his first event provided plenty. In the preliminaries of the 400 individual medley, Bey clocked a personal-best time of 3:36.92 to not only break the school record, but lower his best mark of 3:42.61. He was even better at night, as Bey captured the gold medal with a conference record of 3:34.90. That mark allowed Bey to defeat Michigan’s Lorne Wigginton (3:35.21).
Riding high from his victory in the 400 IM, Bey checked in with a runnerup showing in the 200 breaststroke. In that event, Bey touched the wall in 1:50.03, which was behind only the 1:49.34 swim of Michigan’s Luka Mladenovic. For an encore, Bey was fifth in the 200 IM, a personal best of 1:41.68 getting the job. Heading into the Big Ten Championships, he owned top times of 1:52.51 in the 200 breaststroke and 1:43.96 in the 200 IM.
When Indiana placed third at last year’s NCAA Championships, trailing only Texas and Cal, it marked the school’s highest finish since the 1975 season. This year, the Hoosiers could challenge for a top-two placement. For that type of showing to come to fruition, Bey will need to duplicate his performances from Big Tens. It’s a guarantee he’s feeling good about his potential, and how he has developed in his time in Bloomington.
